Navigating Culinary Topics in EFL Speaking: A Case Study on Role Play Implementation in Junior High School

Abstract

Addressing the persistent gap between theoretical grammar and authentic oral communication in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, this qualitative case study investigates the implementation of role play navigating culinary topics among seventh-grade students at Junior High School. Grounded in Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the study uniquely explores how combining familiar culinary themes with character simulation in an Islamic school setting addresses affective and linguistic barriers. Data were collected through non-participant classroom observations, teaching document analysis, and semi-structured interviews specifically targeted at student key informants (KD, MDN, and AQ) and the English teacher. Applying Miles and Huberman’s data analysis model alongside methodological triangulation, the findings reveal a systematic five-phase implementation: Warm-Up & Orientation, Participant Selection & Information-Gap Role Division, Collaborative Script Preparation, and Enactment with Reflection. Student responses demonstrated Based on observational data and interview narratives, students exhibited a noticeable shift in their learning behavior; they expressed feeling less hesitant to speak, actively utilized descriptive culinary vocabulary in context, and displayed growing self-assurance in their communicative attempts. The discussion critically contrasts these empirical outcomes with previous scholarship, proving that integrating contextual visual media (local culinary topics) and character-building values yields superior affective reduction and situational fluency compared to generic or uncontextualized role-play practices. The study highlights that role play provides an authentic pedagogical bridge for junior high school learners, transforming passive language instruction into active, meaningful communication.